The very special friends of Agnes and Hazel have finally arrived! They are perfectly prepared and readied for today's festivities, and have been practicing their lines and poses ever since they got here...true professionals!
I've been very busy with these two lovely ladies, Agnes and Hazel! They've been so kind to visit and help me conjure up some ideas for my art classes, and also to actually help with them as well. We were so unbelievably busy though when they did show up at class, that we didn't have even a drop of a single moment to take any photos of them. We did manage to take some in another class though, of the students and the art work that A & H helped to create.
The ladies had come up with the idea of doing a portrait of some of their dearest friends... they thought it would make for a wonderful Halloween picture...and we agreed!
Having their friends hold still for such a long time though, wasn't very easy...we had a few topples here and there...but finally, balance and patience won out, and they were able to pose just long enough for the students to capture their unique, special, and somewhat spooky qualities (and add a few of their own while they were at it!).
They've invited a few more of their friends over, but we're not quite sure when they're arriving, I'm hoping it's before 'thee day' so that they'll have a chance to model as well...it'd be a pity for them to have traveled all this way and then miss out on such an opportunity...but most of all, I don't think they'd want to disappoint Hazel and Agnes...if they did, then they just might be the one's 'boiling' away in the cauldron...and we certainly wouldn't want that, now would we?!!
When Autumn arrives, the dahlia's in our garden start taking on wonderfully whimsical persona's that seem to fit the season so perfectly...it's one of my favorite fall floral happenings.
Whether left on their stems or cut, their petals soften and flow into fluid-like movement as they delicately languish towards winter (my that's poetic).
I love when a flower fades so beautifully...I don't think many do really.
Hydrangea's come to mind...can you think of any others?
I'm so thankful for the longevity of these happy, fun loving, summer state fair show offs, and their ability to transform into such uniquely beautiful, dramatic fall blossoms. This extended talent allows me to enjoy their company just a bit longer, before the inevitable winter parting must occur...until we see each other again next year of course!
This past week, Mr. 24 and I were able to hang out with these two little munchkins for a few days...you know, the ones we built the toy box in our entry way for. It was the first time we'd had them all to ourselves for an extended period of time, and they survived quite nicely! It was fantastically fun...and I know so much more about dinosaurs and glow in the dark tooth brushes now!
It was such a relief to have the absolute freedom to be unabashedly, non-stop silly...all day long. To be required to make up goofy rap songs about Miss. Ginger, play Hungry Hippo & Crazy Lizard while having my morning coffee (that does not happen on a regular basis at my house!), make necklaces out of colored Sharpies, and of course...build amazing contraptions out of Legos' while singing the Spiderman theme song (among other things), was such a treat...our hearts were lightened to the point of almost floating away...what a blessing these two loves have been to us!
Now back to real life...I wonder if Mr. 24 will want to play Crazy Lizard tonight?!
After posting about Villa Maria's warm and cozy foyer recently (if you scroll down, it's just one post away), I took a look at 24's rather empty entrance, and started trying to imagine it all spruced up and a bit more welcoming than it is now.
As you can see, it's a very big part of the main living area, with the kitchen and dining room right next door in plain sight.
The rectangular holes in the walls by the way, are meant for speakers...we just haven't gotten around to putting them in yet...snafu and all.
The entry will be seen when one is relaxing in front of the fireplace, eating dinner, and strolling down the hallway of the south wing (sounds very grand but it's not, just the south side of the house where my office/studio, and the guest realm exists). It needs to not look so forlorn and empty...it needs to draw one into our home with warm, welcoming, and hopefully, interesting arms.
I had always wanted a built in bench in the foyer (our darling nephews believe it's a toy box built just for them, which by the way, it will be for now)...as well as a hidden coat closet, hence the paneling. The closet ended up in the paneling on the left, and to the right is a false closet that our freezer will be tucked into on the other side of the wall, which is where our garage is...pretty tricky isn't it? People are always trying to open that side...but it doesn't budge.
There's no hardware here yet, I haven't figured out what to do about that, as it's supposed to be a hidden door...but the blue tape there now just won't do for the long haul so some cleverness is going to be required very soon. Also, do you add that clever hardware on the false side as well? These are the questions that keep me up at night.
Below are some of the foyers that inspired 24's. There are many more but these were the initial ones that sparked the imagination of what the bones, so to speak, of the entry way should look like. The last one has more of the welcoming, lived in feel that I hope graces 24 one day.
The above paneling was a very strong inspiration, nothing hidden there though. And here comes the built-in bench love...and some wall color inspiration as well. The homes, unless otherwise noted, were taken from Windermere Real Estate's website years ago, I'm sure they're no longer available, but they were such a find at the time, I couldn't have asked for better.
The images above and below are from JAS Design Build who we're very much hoping will be the ones that take care of the snafu repairs. Their work is outstanding and they are the nicest, most professional people we've come across so far in our construction adventures, which hit the five year mark last month (help). I wish we would have known about them ages ago...24C would have been a home by now if we had.
The image below looks nothing like our entry way, but it has always captured my heart as an entry that I'd like to come home to...very simple, yet very homey. There's no paneling, but they do have the same wall color that I've always been drawn to...a sort of nicotine stained color, not yellow, not beige, just aged, warm, and inviting, which says please stay a while, we're so glad you're here. This entry belongs to a house that I first saw in Martha Stewart Living magazine years ago, and I've been in love with ever since...it deserves it's own post.
One day, our foyer wishes and dreams will come true...
And this space will turn into the sweet little welcoming nook it was always meant to be.
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